A Never Noticed Mate

Filler Chapter - 3

Clarissa's POV

After a refreshing shower and a hearty breakfast, we both went downstairs to find something to do at his villa.

I already had a list, so I referred to it. Thankfully, Ethan had contingency plans for situations like this, so I turned around to face Theo, who was religiously following me.

"Let's play hide and seek. I'll hide, and you find me!" I suggested, considering the vastness of the house with its multiple rooms and hiding spots. Although I'm not familiar with the place, but I'm sure I'll figure it out along the way.

I was about to run off, but I stumbled backward when he suddenly grabbed the back of my shirt, pulling me back.

Just like last night, he gave me that authoritative gaze and decreed, "No, stay in front of me. Come up with another game. I have some board games here. If you want, we can have a look at it."

"Alright, let's go!" I said, hooking my arm through his, waiting for him to guide us.

His eyes softened as he held my hand, and we walked to the game room. As he said, there were multiple board games. I didn't want to play chess because he would obviously win. So, after much contemplation, I chose Ludo, but blame my luck - I lost in that too, and not once but five times!

By the end of it, when I realized he is going to win again, I flicked away his pawns and mine and then sat sulking like a child.

He cleared his throat before suggesting, "Let's play something else."

I narrowed my eyes at him. He is clearly enjoying this. The whole time he kept fake coughing, or clearing his throat, or covering his mouth as if laughing at me.

Next, we played charades followed by some other board games, but every time he won. I only won once or twice.

Frustrated, a devious idea entered my mind as I stared at the box of Scrabble, and I finally smiled. That piqued his attention, and he asked, awfully sharp as always, "What's going on in that head of yours?"

"Nothing you should be worried about." I grinned innocently outwardly but laughed maniacally inside.

He hummed but remained dubious of me.

So, I suggested we play Scrabble next, and he agreed readily like with the other games. But then I said, "There's a catch!"

He halted midway through removing the pieces.

I smiled insidiously, "Let's spice it up."

He stopped completely, staring at me with a blank look on his face.

"I'll give you two choices; you have to choose one and we will play that."

"Hm." He sounded a bit unsure.

Yes, you should be scared, mister champion!

"First option: Kiss scrabble. In this, we decide on a set of points. For example, 50 or 100 points, and whoever earns it first gets to demand a kiss from the loser on any part of their body!"

His face has always been pale, but this was the first time I saw it become completely ghost white. He wasn't blinking or moving; he seemed terrified of what he had just heard. Well, if you think that's an unscrupulous rule, wait, my dear beloved, I'm not done with you yet.

"Second option." A bit of colour returned to his face. He looked hopeful, but dashing his expectations, I said, "Strip scrabble."

The second I said it, he looked like he might faint.

I suppressed my laugh as I continued, "Again, we set the points, and if I reach them first, I get to demand you to remove a piece of your clothing I choose. So, which one will you pick? I honestly like both, but I prefer the second option more!" I winked at the end.